Toyota has been an ever-present fixture within the World Endurance Championship since its (re)start in 2012. Whereas its rivals have joined, left and returned during the last decade and a half, Toyota remained dedicated to the championship by way of wider automotive trade shifts and even a world pandemic.
It has not been a easy trip although, and the Japanese marque needed to endure years of heartbreak earlier than it turned a near-unbeatable power within the WEC. And whereas the arrival of the Hypercar period has made sportscar racing extra aggressive than ever, with Ferrari now setting the benchmark, Toyota stays one of many championship’s most formidable outfits.
“As a driver, once we began this programme, I may by no means, ever think about that we may proceed our programme like this, in such a means and in such a very long time,” mentioned Kazuki Nakajima, who was current for Toyota’s first race in WEC and is now the vice-chairman of its sportscar group.
“Not solely myself however everybody within the group has a giant appreciation for all of the help from Japan, particularly from Mr Akio Toyoda, who’s pushing all of the motorsport actions. We’re very fortunate to be on this state of affairs the place we are able to proceed pushing like this.
“However fascinated by the longer term, I believe we additionally must push additional. Hydrogen is a part of it. We do suppose that Le Mans 24 Hours is a form of good platform the place we are able to compete collectively, but in addition push the know-how additional for the longer term. So, that is one thing we now have to additional develop and broaden.”
At this weekend’s season opener in Imola, Toyota will debut the TR010 Hybrid, a heavily-revised model of the GR010 Hybrid that has been in service since 2021. Right here’s a take a look at the group’s journey within the WEC, all the best way again to the inception of the programme 14 years in the past.
WEC debut – 2012 Le Mans
#7 Toyota Racing Toyota TS030 Hybrid: Alexander Wurz, Nicolas Lapierre
Photograph by: James Holland
Toyota missed the primary two races of the WEC’s inaugural season in 2012, however its TS030 Hybrid – the non secular successor to the enduring GT-One – was prepared in time for Le Mans. The #7 Toyota even led the race across the six-hour mark, however the group’s race unravelled shortly afterwards. Anthony Davidson suffered an enormous airborne accident within the #8 Toyota after coming into contact with a Ferrari GT automotive, whereas the #7 entry would additionally retire later with technical issues.
First win – 2012 Sao Paulo
Begin: #7 Toyota Racing Toyota TS030 Hybrid: Alexander Wurz, Nicolas Lapierre leads
Photograph by: DPPI
Following Le Mans, Toyota downscaled its LMP1 programme to a single automotive for the rest of the 2012 season. However whilst Audi remained dominant, Toyota emerged as a formidable rival, with Nakajima, Nicolas Lapierre and Alexander Wurz selecting up the marque’s maiden win at Sao Paulo. Two extra wins would observe that yr, together with a house triumph at Fuji.
First actual struggle with Audi – 2013 Le Mans
#8 Toyota Racing Toyota TS030 Hybrid: Anthony Davidson, Stéphane Sarrazin, Sebastien Buemi
Photograph by: James Holland
Though Toyota finally needed to concede defeat, the 2013 iteration of Le Mans proved it was capable of take the struggle to Audi on the most important stage. The TS030 Hybrids have been capable of go two laps additional between gasoline stops, placing severe stress on the R18 e-tron quattros. The automotive additionally proved extraordinarily dependable, demonstrating the speedy progress on the Cologne-based group.
First WEC titles in 2014
#7 Toyota Racing Toyota TS040 Hybrid: Alexander Wurz, Stéphane Sarrazin, Mike Conway
Photograph by: Toyota Racing
As Porsche joined the grid in 2014 and kickstarted an epic three-way battle in LMP1, Toyota gained 5 of the eight WEC rounds to comb each titles. Davidson and Sebastien Buemi wrapped up the drivers’ crown a race early, whereas the producers’ championship was a foregone conclusion heading into the season finale in Shanghai.
Heartbreak at Le Mans in 2016
#5 Toyota Racing Toyota TS050 Hybrid: Anthony Davidson, Sébastien Buemi, Kazuki Nakajima
Photograph by: Simon Winson
Few moments in motorsport are as agonising as Toyota’s loss at Le Mans in 2016. With simply minutes to go within the race, Nakajima’s Toyota got here to a screeching halt initially/end straight with a lack of energy. To make issues worse, the automotive was not even categorised, having accomplished the final lap in over 11 minutes after Nakajima managed to restart the engine.
All-time lap document – 2017 Le Mans
#7 Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota TS050 Hybrid: Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi, Stéphane Sarrazin
Photograph by: JEP / Motorsport Photos
Kamui Kobayashi’s sensational pole lap in qualifying for the 2017 Le Mans will endlessly function a reminder of the much-loved LMP1 period. On a transparent monitor with no visitors, Kobayashi set a time of 3m14.791s, changing into the quickest ever driver at La Sarthe. With trendy hypercars a lot slower than their LMP1 predecessors, his lap document is unlikely to be usurped within the close to future.
One other catastrophe at Le Mans
#7 Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota TS050 Hybrid: Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi, Stéphane Sarrazin
Photograph by: Anthony Rew
The 2017 Le Mans was arguably the bottom level for Toyota in its modern-day Le Mans historical past. Regardless of main early, its two full-season WEC entries have been thrown out of competition earlier than nightfall with reliability points. The additional third automotive Toyota fielded at Le Mans was additionally eradicated in an accident, leaving Porsche to take care of LMP2 vehicles en route to a different win.
Fernando Alonso
Photograph by: Paul Foster
Whereas the speedy exits of Audi and Porsche spelled the tip of LMP1’s golden days, Toyota helped maintain curiosity within the championship by signing two-time System 1 champion Fernando Alonso to its driver roster. Though Alonso’s transfer to sportscar racing was largely pushed by McLaren-Honda’s aggressive struggles and his rising disillusionment with F1, his arrival was nonetheless a significant coup for Toyota and the WEC.
First Le Mans win
#8 Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota TS050: Sébastien Buemi, Kazuki Nakajima, Fernando Alonso, #7 Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota TS050: Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi, Jose Maria Lopez cross the end line
Photograph by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Photos
Toyota lastly ended its ‘Le Mans curse’ in 2018, claiming a dominant 1-2 win. Whereas competitors in LMP1 was severely restricted in comparison with earlier years, regardless of the arrival of a number of privateers, Toyota acquired all the pieces proper within the race to lastly bag that win that had eluded it for many years. The win would lay the muse of probably the most dominant durations within the collection’ historical past.
Hypercar period
#7 Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota GR010 – Hybrid Hypercar: Mike Conway, Charles Milesi
Photograph by: Toyota Racing
One other key second for Toyota was the rollout of the GR010 Hybrid, marking Toyota’s entry into WEC’s new Hypercar period. Whereas most of its rivals didn’t (re)be a part of the championship till 2023, Toyota was current from 2021 onwards to set the benchmark for producers drawn by the brand new LMDh and LMH laws.
2023 – Le Mans profitable streak ends
#8 Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota GR010 – Hybrid of Sebastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley, Ryo Hirakawa
Photograph by: JEP / Motorsport Photos
After 5 consecutive victories, Toyota’s dominance at Le Mans was lastly damaged in 2023 as Ferrari triumphed with the 499P. Though Ferrari had a faster automotive, Toyota continued to problem for victory till the closing levels, with Ryo Hirakawa placing up a valiant struggle till he went off at Arnage.
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